In this Customer Spotlight, Dr. Mandy Gattis, Project Coordinator at South Carolina EMS Association, talks about how she took and enjoyed the NAEMT Mental Health Resilience Officer (MHRO) course in an effort to expand her expertise in the field of first responder mental health. 

You can check out a preview of the spotlight interview below. To download the full Customer Spotlight, click here. 

Can you tell us about your background?

I have been a first responder for nearly 15 years. I have been a volunteer firefighter, a member of my local rescue squad, and I hold numerous certifications, including Emergency Medical Responder. I just finished my Doctorate in Education with my dissertation focusing on first responder mental health resiliency and post-traumatic growth. Currently, I work for the South Carolina EMS Association as their Project Coordinator. I wear many hats in my position, and one of those is working collaboratively to create a statewide peer support program called Peer Connect. This proactive program created through the South Carolina Public Safety Wellness Initiative has partnered with First Response Mental Health and local peer support teams to build an online application platform to help manage internal and external support teams, wellness programs, and provide support to first responders all over the state.

What motivated you to take the Mental Health Resilience Officer (MHRO) course?

I have always been an advocate for first responder mental health; through my own experiences and watching those that have worked alongside me, I knew that there was a need for first responder mental health awareness not only locally, but on a bigger scale. When I heard about the MHRO course, I saw an opportunity to further learn about first responder mental health and learn some ways that I can help my first responder peers learn and cope. I am striving to teach others and create awareness about first responder mental health and help break the stigma that surrounds it.